Water cooler for use with refrigerators



Jan. 17, 1928. 1,656,507

R. c. BRETT WATER COOLER FOR USE WITH REFRIGERATORS Filed June 9, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l 2\ 9 Q- 1 HW A TTORNE Y Jan. 17, 1928.

R. C. BRETT WATER COOLER FOR USE WITH REFRIGERATORS Filed June 9, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Wm hm Patented Jan. 17, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROY C. BRETT, OF CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE PURO WATER FILTER COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

WATER COOLER FOR USE WITH REFRIGERATORS.

Application filed June 9, 1925. Serial No. 85,922.

The present invention relates to water cooling attachment for iceless refrigerators and the like, in which provision is made for the insertion of a water cooling receptacle in or adjacent to the refrigerating chamber of an iceless refrigerator, and in which provision is made whereby the water in the cooling system is maintained in constant circulation so as to prevent the water being cooled from freezing and thus rendering the cooling system useless until thawed out. Bymeans of the present circulating system, not only is freezing of the water and closing of the system prevented, but also the possible bursting of the container and pipes. More particularly then, the present invention provides a cooling receptacle having an outlet connection for a spigot or faucet from which the cooled water may be withdrawn, and also providing two other connections to the receptacle both of which are connected separately to the water line so as to form a closed circuit through the cooling receptacle and allow the water in this closed circuit to continuously circulate and thus prevent freezing. To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of'the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings:-

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through a refrigerator showing in elevation one form of the present water cooling system as applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the water cooling system in a modified form Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing a different arrangement of the cooling system; Fig. 4 is a side elevational View of one of the cooling receptacles; Fig. 5 is an elevational view of the valve casing shown in Fig. 3 with part of the casing in section to show the valve operating mechanism; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional View of a portion of the refrigerator showing a modified form of the construction shown in Fig. 3; and Fig. 7

frigerating unit 3 which is diagrammatically illustrated. In applying the present nvention of a water cooling system to an icebox containing an iceless or electric refrigerating unit, I have used 'a cooling receptacle 5 which may be of any suitable type, this receptacle being in form shown in Figs. 1 and 2 a double receptacle, each portion thereof being connected to an outlet or withdrawal pipe 6 which has its outer end 7 extending through a suitable aperture 8 through the wall 9 of the refrigerator, and being provided with suitable faucet or spigot 10 on the outside of the refrigerator proper. Each of the two water cooling receptacles is connected through suitable unions or couplings 11 with a conduit, which, in the form shown in Fig. 1, are connected through a T coupling 12 to the main water line 14. In this form one of these pipes 13 extends upwardly through the refrigerating chamber and then horizontally adjacent the top thereof into the large compartment 15 and then downwardly to a point adjacent the bottom of the compartment near the side wall 16 thereof. The other pipe 13 extends downwardly through the chamber 17 under refrigerating compartment and then along the refrigerator, adjacent the bottom thereof to the T coupling 12.

In the form shown in Fig. 2 the two water cooling receptacles are connected to the outlet pipe 6 in the same manner as in the previous form but the inlet connections to the cooling receptacle are connected in a slightly. different manner. The pipe 20 from the upper receptacle, as indicated in Fig. 2, extends up through the refrigerating compartment 2 and then laterally adjacent to the top of the refrigerator and out through an aperture 21 in the side wall 22 thereof. The pipe is then extended downwardly to the T coupling 12,- which is loouted outside of the refrigerator. The other ipe 23 from the lower receptacle extends downwardly, then laterally near the bottom ofthe refrigerator, out through an aperture 24 in the wall 22, and is then connected to the coupling 12, the cou ling being connected to the main water ne 14.

In this manner the water which is in the cooling system, consisting of pipes leading to the two coohng receptacles an the rece tacles themselves, circulates through t e two ipes and the coolin rece tacles in this interior closed stem orme b the two pipes 13 or and 23, the T coupling 12 and the double receptacle 5. In the form shown in Fig. 2 a portion of this circulating cooling system is outside of the refrigerator proper and thus normally in a comparativey warm zone, such as the ordinary kitchen room temperature, and this type of com struction is used where the ice box temperatures are low and where extra heat is necessary to revent the water from freezing in the coohn system.

In the orm shown in Fig. 3 there is the usual ice-box structure, as shown in the previous figures, with a refrigerating unit 3 in its compartment 2 and in the water system shown 1n this figure, a single cooling receptacle is used, which is connected through a pipe 31 extending downwardly in the box, then laterally and running upwardly around the box to a T cou ling 32 located near the top of the box, an then laterally to an opcrating valve and spigot casing 35 which exten out through an aperture 36 in the box to rovide the withdrawal faucet 37. This va ve casing 35 is also directly connected through a pipe 34 to the other end of the cooling receptacle 30. In this form, when the dischar e spigot or faucet 35 is opened to draw cold water, the water would naturally flow directly from the T coupling 32 to the valve casing 35 from the main water line 14 and would not pass through the cooling receptacle. To force the water to pass through the cooling receptacle and then out of the faucet or spigot 37 the valve casing (see Fig. 5) is constructed so as to contain a second valve 38 which is mounted on the same valve stem 40 as the faucet valve 41 so as to close upon the opening of the withdrawal faucet valve 41, thus forcing the water to pass through the pi e 31 and the cooling receptacle and then t e pipe 34 to the valve 41 and faucet. This valve 38, however, is normally open in the closed portion of the faucet valve 41 and thus allows water in the system to circulate through pipes and cooling receptacle to prevent freezin as in the forms reviousl described.

Fig. 6 a slightily modi ed form of the device is shown, similar in general characteristics to the form shown in Fig. 3, but in this form the pipe 40 leading upwardly from the single cooling receptacle is connected to the other pipe 42 from the cooling receptacle by means of a T cou ling 43 and the faucet 44 is mounted on t e other end of a nipple 45 mounted in the coupling 43 which extends out through the refrigerator wall. On the other pipe line 42 from the cooling rece tacle is mounted an automatic valve 47 which is adapted to allow normal flow of water therethrough, such normal flow bein that as will constantly occur in the close system, but which will close under a greater t an normal flow of water so as to prevent water from entering the T coupling from this line 46 which is close to the main water supply line and thus allow the water to be withdrawn from the faucet only through the other pipe and the cooling rece tac e.

n the form shown in Fig. 1 the double cooling receptacle is shown as being in the form of two cooling coils 50 and 51, which are best shown in Figs. 4 and 7. Each of these coils is formed of a double pipe wound into a spiral in the upper coil, as illustrated in Fig. 7, having a union 52 at one end for connection to one of the water system pipes, while at the other end it is connected to a T joint 53- which is also connected to the other coil and to the withdrawal pipe of the system. It is, of course, obvious that any suitable water cooling receptacle may be employed and the form illustrated in Figs. 4 and 7 is a satisfactory cooling unit which has been designed to operate in the present type of cooling system.

It is desirable, under certain operating conditions, to provide an automatic heating device, as shown in Fig. 3, such heater be ing mounted on the lower part of the vertical section of pipe 31 in compartment 5. Such a unit consists of an electric heating, coil or element 55 mounted adjacent the pipe 31 in an insulated box 56 and controlled y a thermostat 57. The thermostat is set to close the switch to the heating device upon a predetermined temperature. this temperature in compartment 5 being such that the correspondin temperature at the cooling receptacle w1ll be above that at which the water in the circulating system will start to freeze. By the use of such a device, a predetermined temperature difference is maintained between the coil or cooling clement and the )ortion of pipe 31, and this difference will be sufficient to force the desired circulation of water through the system.

In all of the forms. a water cooling system is used which takes the form of a closed circuit including a cooling receptacle or chamber. one side of the circuit being connected to a water supply pipe and the other to a faucet. The water within the system may circulate freely but when the withdrawal faucet is opened water will flouthereout, this water being forced to pass through at least one-half of the double cooling receptacle in the first forms or through the single receptacle in the other forms.

In addition, the modified forms are particularly adapted to meet certain operating conditions, such as a refrigerator where lower than ordinary temperatures are maintained,the system is simple in construction and easy to install in any type of refrigerator.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and dis tinctly claim as my invention 1. In a water cooling system, the combination of a refrigerator having a refrigerating chamber and another chamber, a water supply pipe, a cooling receptacle mounted in said refrigerating chamber, a cold water withdrawal pipe connected thereto, and two pipes connecting said cooling receptacle and said supply pipe and arranged to form a vertically arranged closed water circulation circuit, a part of such circuit being mounted in said other chamber to provide a temperature difference in said closed circuit for circulation purposes.

2. In a water cooling system, the combination of a refrigerator having a refrigerating P chamber and another chamber, a water supply pipe, a closed water circulation circuit mounted in said refrigerator and including two pipes connected to said water su ply pipe and to a cooling receptacle, said 0 osed circuit being arranged vertically in said refrigerator and having a portion of said circuit in said refrigerating chamber and a portion of said circuit in said other chamber to r obtain a temperature difference and circulation in the circuit itself, and a cold water withdrawal pipe connected to said cooling receptacle.

3. In a water cooling system, the combination of a refrigerator having a refrigerating chamber and another chamber, a water supply pipe, a closed water circulation circuit mounted in said refrigerator and including two pipes connected to said water supply pipe and to a double cooling receptacle, said closed circuit being arranged vertically in said refrigerator and having a portion thereof in the refri crating chamber and a portion in said ot er chamber of hi her temperature to obtain a temperature di erence in portions of said circuit to obtain continuous circulation therein, and acold water withdrawal pipe connected to the middle point of said double receptacle.

4. In a water cooling system, the combination of a refrigerator having a refrigerating chamber and another chamber, a water supply pipe, a closed water circulation circuit mounted within the refrigerator, said circuit including a double cooling receptacle mounted adjacent the refrigerating chamber and two pipes connected to the ends of said cooling receptacle and to said water supply pipe, said pipes extending vertically from said cooling receptacle and then into said other chamber of higher temperature than said refrigeratin chamber to obtain circulation in said close circuit, and a cold water withdrawal pipe connected to the middle point of said doub e cooling receptacle.

5. In a water cooling system the combination with a refrigerator of a water supply pipe, a double cooling receptacle in said refri erator, a pipe connecting one of said coo ing receptacle portions to said water pipe, a second pipe connecting the other portion of said receptacle to said water pipe, and a cold water withdrawal pipe connected to the middle point of said double cooling receptacle, one of said connecting pipes extending outside of the refrigerator and said two connecting pipes and said cooling receptacle forming a circulating circuit for the Water in said system.

6. In a water cooling system for attachment to a refrigerator having a refrigerating chamber, the combination of a double cooling receptacle adapted to be mounted adjacent the refrigerating chamber, a water suppl ipe, a pipe connecting one side of the coo ing receptacle with said water supply ipe a second pipe connecting the other si e 0 said cooling receptacle with said water supply pipe, said two pipes and said cooling receptacle forming a circulation system for the water in said system, one of said connecting pipes extending outside of said refrigerator, and a cold water withdrawal pipe connected to the center of said cooling receptacle.

7. In a Water cooling system for refrigerators, the combination of two cooling coils mounted adjacent the refrigerating means, a water supp y pipe, a connecting pipe attached at one end to said water supply pipe and at the other to one of said cooling cells, a second connecting pipe attached at one end to said water supply pipe and at the other end to the other of said cookin coils, a pipe connection between said two coils, said pipes and cooling receptacle being arranged in a vertical plane to obtain a closed water circulating circuit and said pipes extending into portions of the refrigerator of higher temperature than the point adjacent the refrigerating means, and a water withdrawal pipe having a faucet connected to said pipe connection whereby water being withdrawn must pass through at least one of said coolin coils.

Signed by me, this 4th da of uric, 1925,

.RO C. BRETT. 

